The Reds introduced Tuesday that they’ve positioned lefty Nick Lodolo on the 15-day injured record as a consequence of a blister on his left index finger and recalled righty Yosver Zulueta in his place. If Zulueta will get right into a sport, he’ll be making his MLB debut. Francys Romero first reported early this morning that Zulueta was being known as up for his debut.
The 26-year-old Lodolo’s IL placement is retroactive to Monday. He lasted simply 4 2/3 innings in that begin and issued 4 walks in his shakiest begin in over a month. Whereas accidents like blisters and cracked fingernails can appear minor on the floor, they will typically make it tough for a pitcher to correctly grip his pitches, relying on their placement. A blister on the fingertip of the index finger would make it significantly tough for Lodolo to execute his curveball, which he’s thrown at a 28% clip this season. He’ll let the problem quiet down for the subsequent couple weeks in hopes of a fast return.
Lodolo has been the Reds’ best starter this season, pitching to a 2.96 ERA in 70 innings. He’s fanned 25.1% of his opponents in opposition to a pointy 6.5% stroll fee. This will likely be his third IL placement of the season, having beforehand missed time as a consequence of minor groin and calf accidents. He’s additionally frolicked on the 60-day injured record in every of the previous two seasons, owing to again and calf accidents.
With Lodolo shelved for what’ll presumably be a comparatively transient keep on the IL, the Reds’ rotation will likely be all the way down to Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, Frankie Montas and Carson Spiers. Proper-hander Graham Ashcraft, who was optioned to Triple-A earlier this month, has tossed consecutive high quality begins since being despatched down and yielded a complete of 4 runs in 12 innings with a 12-to-2 Okay/BB ratio. He may very well be within the combine to return again to the large league roster in brief order and step into Lodolo’s vacated rotation spot, however in the interim, the Reds will add Zulueta to present their bullpen an additional arm.
Zulueta, 26, has pitched in 23 video games this season and logged 30 2/3 innings of two.93 ERA ball with a robust 28.3% strikeout fee and elite 60.5% ground-ball fee — but in addition an unpleasant 14.5% stroll fee. The fitting-hander got here to the Reds through an Opening Day waiver declare after he’d been designated for project. In components of three seasons on the Triple-A degree between the 2 organizations, the Cuban-born righty has a 3.71 ERA, 26.2% strikeout fee and 15.4% stroll fee.
